Showing posts with label newsletter. Show all posts
Showing posts with label newsletter. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
BANI Newsletter- February 2010
A version of the following article appears in "The Higher Standard," the newsletter for the Builders Association of Northeast Indiana. www.ba-ni.com.
Traditional planning/zoning divides the community into different zones. In general, each community will have some variation of agricultural, residential, commercial/business, industrial, and specialty zones. The intent of creating different zones is to reduce negative impacts between uses, for example, to make sure a factory or landfill is not built next to your house.
The Steuben County Zoning Ordinance lists 13 different zoning districts: Agriculture, Environmental Control, Residence-1, Residence-2, Residence-3, Lake Residence, Manufactured Home, Local Business, General Business, Accommodation Business, Light Industry, General Industry, and Wind Energy Conversion Overlay.
Each zoning district has a table of uses which describes what uses are permitted (by right), what uses are special exceptions (permitted after a review to determine if certain criteria are met), and what uses are not permitted. Each zoning district also has developmental standards for things like setbacks, building heights, and coverage areas.
The Steuben County Zone Map, the map showing where the different districts are located, was prepared starting in 1970 and adopted in 1974. Since then, it has been amended many times in many places. Zone changes can be initiated by a couple of methods. They can be started by the Plan Commission or the County Board of Commissioners. They can be started by property owners.
Almost all of the zone changes from 1974 through 2008 were initiated by individual property owners. In the fall of 2008, the Plan Commission Office reviewed the zone maps and made a list of areas that needed rezoning. Most of these zone changes are in areas that have had subdivisions developed since the original maps were prepared. For example, the original zoning was as an agricultural district, but the area has been developed for lake homes.
Rezoning the properties to match the existing use and the future use prevents serious headaches for the property owners. For example, a lot near the lake that is zoned agriculture must meet the (larger) setbacks and (smaller) coverages for agriculture. This can make it difficult to add-on to an existing home or to replace a damaged one.
Zone change petitions are heard by the Plan Commission at a public hearing. They review the petition and evaluate it using the following criteria:
(a) Comprehensive Plan: The Comprehensive Plan and any other applicable, adopted planning studies or reports.
(b) Current Conditions: The current conditions and the character of current structures and uses in each district.
(c) Reasonable Use: The most reasonable use for which the land in each district is adapted.
(d) Property Values: The conservation of property values throughout the planning jurisdiction.
(e) Responsible Growth: Responsible growth and development.
The petition is forwarded to the County Board of Commissioners with a favorable recommendation, an unfavorable recommendation, or no recommendation. The County Commissioners consider the zone change at a public hearing and may enact the zone change.
Friday, December 17, 2010
BANI Newsletter- December 2010
A version of the following article appears in "The Higher Standard," the newsletter for the Builders Association of Northeast Indiana. www.ba-ni.com.
As the holiday music, decorations, and store stampedes descend upon Steuben County, the Plan Commission begins to turn its thoughts to ordinance amendments. This ordinance amendment season promises to be a very busy one, perhaps the busiest since the current zoning and subdivision control ordinances were adopted in 2008. This article will cover some of the areas identified for revision.
As a reminder, the Steuben County Plan Commission reviews its ordinances every year to find improvements to better serve and protect the community. These ordinance revisions are discussed by the Plan Commission at public hearings. Once they have approved an amendment, it is forwarded to the County Board of Commissioners for their consideration.
This year, we will address a lot of grammatical and linguistic concerns. True, ordinances are not pieces of literature, but they should still be easy to read and represent their community well. Sometimes, poor grammar can cause a lot of problems with ordinance interpretation. We feel it’s best to address these areas before a problem comes up.
We’ll also be adding specific setbacks for alleys. Most counties have few alleys within their jurisdiction. Because of this, they don’t have special alley setbacks. Alleys are instead considered as streets and any structure must meet street setbacks. Steuben County has many more alleys than most counties around. This can cause problems. (Just think of Pleasant Lake!)
The current zoning ordinance requires a survey for all projects on properties of less than two acres. Staff may waive that requirement for residential projects on properties larger than two acres if the structure is at least five feet away from a required setback. We still believe the survey requirement is important and has prevented countless problems. However, there are many times where it can be difficult to justify as a property approaches two acres in size. Staff are proposing that the requirement may be waived starting at one acre rather than two.
As one might expect, we will be looking at sign standards. Sign standards are often one of the trickiest areas in ordinance language because it is easy to run into Constitutional issues. Standards are further complicated because we must comply with our comprehensive plan and federal and state laws. Our goal is to simplify and clarify that section of the ordinance while complying with the law.
Steuben County has a large number of campgrounds. We do not have a robust campground standards section. This often means campgrounds must comply with the standards for the zoning district it’s located in. This can cause a lot of problems. We intend to develop campground specific standards similar, in structure, to mobile home park standards, for example, measuring from structure to structure rather than from property lines.
Last year we made low-impact home occupations a permitted use in all zoning districts. This year, we will be separating low-impact from regular home occupations a bit more. This will allow for less hassles for low-impact home occupations and provide an avenue for more robust home occupations, with appropriate standards.
We’ll be conducting an extensive review of the Subdivision Control Ordinance, as well. The primary focus will be on amending how minor subdivisions are processed. The current draft calls for minor subdivisions to be reviewed by the plan director with consultation of the design review committee.
As always, we welcome your suggestions and comments. Feel free to drop us a line or come speak at a meeting. The Plan Commission will be hearing the proposed ordinance amendments on Wednesday, December 1, 2010, and again on Wednesday, January 5, 2011.
As the holiday music, decorations, and store stampedes descend upon Steuben County, the Plan Commission begins to turn its thoughts to ordinance amendments. This ordinance amendment season promises to be a very busy one, perhaps the busiest since the current zoning and subdivision control ordinances were adopted in 2008. This article will cover some of the areas identified for revision.
As a reminder, the Steuben County Plan Commission reviews its ordinances every year to find improvements to better serve and protect the community. These ordinance revisions are discussed by the Plan Commission at public hearings. Once they have approved an amendment, it is forwarded to the County Board of Commissioners for their consideration.
This year, we will address a lot of grammatical and linguistic concerns. True, ordinances are not pieces of literature, but they should still be easy to read and represent their community well. Sometimes, poor grammar can cause a lot of problems with ordinance interpretation. We feel it’s best to address these areas before a problem comes up.
We’ll also be adding specific setbacks for alleys. Most counties have few alleys within their jurisdiction. Because of this, they don’t have special alley setbacks. Alleys are instead considered as streets and any structure must meet street setbacks. Steuben County has many more alleys than most counties around. This can cause problems. (Just think of Pleasant Lake!)
The current zoning ordinance requires a survey for all projects on properties of less than two acres. Staff may waive that requirement for residential projects on properties larger than two acres if the structure is at least five feet away from a required setback. We still believe the survey requirement is important and has prevented countless problems. However, there are many times where it can be difficult to justify as a property approaches two acres in size. Staff are proposing that the requirement may be waived starting at one acre rather than two.
As one might expect, we will be looking at sign standards. Sign standards are often one of the trickiest areas in ordinance language because it is easy to run into Constitutional issues. Standards are further complicated because we must comply with our comprehensive plan and federal and state laws. Our goal is to simplify and clarify that section of the ordinance while complying with the law.
Steuben County has a large number of campgrounds. We do not have a robust campground standards section. This often means campgrounds must comply with the standards for the zoning district it’s located in. This can cause a lot of problems. We intend to develop campground specific standards similar, in structure, to mobile home park standards, for example, measuring from structure to structure rather than from property lines.
Last year we made low-impact home occupations a permitted use in all zoning districts. This year, we will be separating low-impact from regular home occupations a bit more. This will allow for less hassles for low-impact home occupations and provide an avenue for more robust home occupations, with appropriate standards.
We’ll be conducting an extensive review of the Subdivision Control Ordinance, as well. The primary focus will be on amending how minor subdivisions are processed. The current draft calls for minor subdivisions to be reviewed by the plan director with consultation of the design review committee.
As always, we welcome your suggestions and comments. Feel free to drop us a line or come speak at a meeting. The Plan Commission will be hearing the proposed ordinance amendments on Wednesday, December 1, 2010, and again on Wednesday, January 5, 2011.
Thursday, November 4, 2010
BANI Newsletter- November 2010
A version of the following article appears in "The Higher Standard," the newsletter for the Builders Association of Northeast Indiana. www.ba-ni.com.
Happy Halloween!
In honor of this time of year, we will share some tricks and treats from the Steuben County Zoning Ordinance.
Single-family homes need to have 1 parking space for each bedroom. That’s one reason why it’s important for the Plan Commission to have building plans to examine in addition to site plans.
At-grade steps need to be set back at least 5 feet from the property line. This applies to steps of all materials.
Buildings in Lake Residential zoning districts must have gutters and drain that water to the lake.
All new residential dwellings need to have at least one deciduous tree planted in the front yard. (One tree per dwelling; a duplex would require 2 trees.) The tree can be planted in the required setback but needs to be outside of the clear-vision area. A new tree does not need to be planted if there are older trees there already.
All buildings need to be at least 10 feet away from any adjacent building. This distance is measured from the farthest edges of the buildings, usually the gutters. This standard applies to buildings on adjacent properties too. We have revised the permit application form to include this measurement. Please check to make sure your site plans show adjacent buildings if they might be close.
Steuben County does not require permits for garage sales. It does limit the total number of garage sales per property to 3 in a year. Each sale can be up to 3 days in length. A special exception is required for a longer-duration garage sale.
The height limit does not apply to chimneys, elevator bulkheads, public monuments, church spires, belfries, cupolas, or ornamental towers. Parapet walls and cornices may project up to 4 feet above the maximum building height.
Buildings damaged by fire or “Act of God” need to be repaired or removed from the property within 180 days. Nonconforming homes damaged by fire or other act of nature may be rebuilt if the existing foundation can be reused and the ground and overall square footage remains the same. If this home is in a floodplain, it would need to be rebuilt to meet the flood protection grade requirements.
When an improvement location permit is issued for a commercial or industrial property, all of the on-site lighting must be brought up to current standards.
Commercial mechanical equipment, including meters, elevator housings, tanks, hvac, etc, must be screened from public roads and adjacent properties.
Overhangs can extend up to 3 feet into the front and rear yard setbacks (excluding 5’ foot setbacks). Uncovered porches and stoops can extend up to 10 feet into the front and rear yard setbacks but cannot be closer than 20 feet to a rear property line.
A residential accessory building can be located in side yards or rear yards. If located in the side yard, it must meet the zoning district setback from the side property line. If located in the rear yard, it can be located 5 feet from the side and rear property lines, including overhangs. For lakefront properties, an accessory building can be located in the lakefront yard, but it must meet the lakefront setback and be less than 50 square feet in area. An accessory building can be located in the road-front yard of lakefront properties and can be 10 feet from the road right-of-way. Properties less than 2 acres may have 1 accessory building*; properties larger than 2 acres may have 2 accessory buildings*. (*Gazebos and agricultural accessory buildings don’t count towards this total.)
Commercial accessory buildings need to meet the same setbacks for the primary buildings.
Funeral homes are special exception uses in Agriculture, Residence-2, Residence-3, Local Business, and Accommodation Business zoning districts. The minimum area is 1 acre, and minimum width is 150 feet. An off-street vehicle assembly area needs to be provided for funeral-procession assembly.
Cemeteries are a special exception use in Agriculture and Environmental Control zoning districts and a permitted use in Local Business and General Business zoning districts. The minimum size for a cemetery is 10 acres, all setbacks are 50 feet. Additionally, zombie proof fences and gates must be installed and a zombie action plan must be approved by the Emergency Management Director prior to internments*. (*Ok, this isn’t a requirement for cemeteries, but it should be! Safety first when dealing with the un/dead.)
Now that the leaves are down, it’s time for the Plan Commission to start the ordinance amendment process. Staff have a list of items that need attention, and we have received a couple of requests from the County Commissioners. We received a lot of input from the building community last year and would welcome further involvement this year.
Happy Halloween!
In honor of this time of year, we will share some tricks and treats from the Steuben County Zoning Ordinance.
Single-family homes need to have 1 parking space for each bedroom. That’s one reason why it’s important for the Plan Commission to have building plans to examine in addition to site plans.
At-grade steps need to be set back at least 5 feet from the property line. This applies to steps of all materials.
Buildings in Lake Residential zoning districts must have gutters and drain that water to the lake.
All new residential dwellings need to have at least one deciduous tree planted in the front yard. (One tree per dwelling; a duplex would require 2 trees.) The tree can be planted in the required setback but needs to be outside of the clear-vision area. A new tree does not need to be planted if there are older trees there already.
All buildings need to be at least 10 feet away from any adjacent building. This distance is measured from the farthest edges of the buildings, usually the gutters. This standard applies to buildings on adjacent properties too. We have revised the permit application form to include this measurement. Please check to make sure your site plans show adjacent buildings if they might be close.
Steuben County does not require permits for garage sales. It does limit the total number of garage sales per property to 3 in a year. Each sale can be up to 3 days in length. A special exception is required for a longer-duration garage sale.
The height limit does not apply to chimneys, elevator bulkheads, public monuments, church spires, belfries, cupolas, or ornamental towers. Parapet walls and cornices may project up to 4 feet above the maximum building height.
Buildings damaged by fire or “Act of God” need to be repaired or removed from the property within 180 days. Nonconforming homes damaged by fire or other act of nature may be rebuilt if the existing foundation can be reused and the ground and overall square footage remains the same. If this home is in a floodplain, it would need to be rebuilt to meet the flood protection grade requirements.
When an improvement location permit is issued for a commercial or industrial property, all of the on-site lighting must be brought up to current standards.
Commercial mechanical equipment, including meters, elevator housings, tanks, hvac, etc, must be screened from public roads and adjacent properties.
Overhangs can extend up to 3 feet into the front and rear yard setbacks (excluding 5’ foot setbacks). Uncovered porches and stoops can extend up to 10 feet into the front and rear yard setbacks but cannot be closer than 20 feet to a rear property line.
A residential accessory building can be located in side yards or rear yards. If located in the side yard, it must meet the zoning district setback from the side property line. If located in the rear yard, it can be located 5 feet from the side and rear property lines, including overhangs. For lakefront properties, an accessory building can be located in the lakefront yard, but it must meet the lakefront setback and be less than 50 square feet in area. An accessory building can be located in the road-front yard of lakefront properties and can be 10 feet from the road right-of-way. Properties less than 2 acres may have 1 accessory building*; properties larger than 2 acres may have 2 accessory buildings*. (*Gazebos and agricultural accessory buildings don’t count towards this total.)
Commercial accessory buildings need to meet the same setbacks for the primary buildings.
Funeral homes are special exception uses in Agriculture, Residence-2, Residence-3, Local Business, and Accommodation Business zoning districts. The minimum area is 1 acre, and minimum width is 150 feet. An off-street vehicle assembly area needs to be provided for funeral-procession assembly.
Cemeteries are a special exception use in Agriculture and Environmental Control zoning districts and a permitted use in Local Business and General Business zoning districts. The minimum size for a cemetery is 10 acres, all setbacks are 50 feet. Additionally, zombie proof fences and gates must be installed and a zombie action plan must be approved by the Emergency Management Director prior to internments*. (*Ok, this isn’t a requirement for cemeteries, but it should be! Safety first when dealing with the un/dead.)
Now that the leaves are down, it’s time for the Plan Commission to start the ordinance amendment process. Staff have a list of items that need attention, and we have received a couple of requests from the County Commissioners. We received a lot of input from the building community last year and would welcome further involvement this year.
Monday, October 25, 2010
Steuben County Lakes Council "Soundings"- October 2010
A version of the following article appears in "Bobber Watchin'," the newsletter for the Steuben County Lakes Council..
The Steuben County Plan Commission is happy that we have been asked to compose an article for “Soundings.” Even though we have done this in the past, we feel there is still a lot of mystery about what exactly planning is and what the Steuben County Plan Commission does.
Our goal is to shed some light on some planning tools, share some planning history, summarize the permitting process, and share some of the innovations and reforms we have been working on.
It was very easy for my family and friends to understand what I was studying as an undergraduate in an architecture program. Architecture. Got it. However, when I entered graduate school as a planning student, it took longer and longer to describe exactly what I was studying. To this day, I don’t think my grandma completely knows what I do.
Planning is a very broad field (with many specialties) that is a combination of art and science. In general, the goal of planning is to protect the health, safety, and welfare of the community now and into the future. Planning is concerned with generations, not election cycles; we take steps to make the community better and safer in the future than it is today.
Planning Tools.
The most basic-and most important-element of planning is to have a vision of what the community wants to be. This vision is documented in the comprehensive plan, sometimes called a master plan.
The material covered in comprehensive plans may vary from community to community, but they all outline what the community wants to be in 10-20 years. Comprehensive plans are developed under the direction of the Plan Commission with community input, usually at public meetings. Indiana requires a community to have a comprehensive plan before it can engage in planning and zoning.
Zoning ordinances are the main tool that communities use to reach the goals of their comprehensive plan. Zoning ordinances define what uses are permitted in different zoning districts. They define developmental standards, setbacks, height, coverage, etc, for the different zoning districts and sometimes for specific types of uses. This means that property owners may not be able to do whatever they may want to do. In exchange for this loss of some freedom, property owners gain freedom from unreasonable development or use of neighboring properties. Just like comprehensive plans, zoning ordinances are developed by the Plan Commission with community involvement.
History of Planning.
Planning may not be the oldest profession, but it dates back to the earliest human settlements in present-day Turkey and Iraq. Planning was present in the Americas even before the Pilgrims arrived in Massachusetts. The landscape of Indiana and most of the Midwest was divided according to a plan outlined in the Northwest Ordinance of 1787. This is where townships and mile roads come from.
Planning started to become more formalized in the US in the late 1800s with the City Beautiful movement. The first city-wide zoning ordinance was adopted by New York City in 1916. (It was enacted in reaction to new skyscrapers that were blocking the sun from the streets below.)
In 1935, the Indiana State Planning Board and Works Progress Administration prepared the first planning study of Steuben County. It recommended the location of future boulevards, creation of a plan commission, steps to prevent over-crowding of the lakes, development of protected game and natural areas, and adoption of a community-wide comprehensive plan and zoning ordinances.
It took us a little while, but Steuben County adopted its first master plan in 1970 and its first county zoning ordinance in 1972. A new comprehensive plan was adopted in 2006, and we hope to have the funds to review it rigorously again in 2011. A new zoning ordinance was adopted in 2008 and has been amended annually.
Permit Process.
Comprehensive plans, zoning ordinances, and permitting requirements can and do change through time and vary greatly from one community to another. It can be confusing for Steuben residents to know what projects might need a permit and what the standards are because these have changed from the past and because we have a high number of seasonal and new residents.
Permits are required for most improvements to property within the Steuben County Plan Commission jurisdiction. The typical process will take the applicant through the highway department (if any driveways are planned), a sewer district, the health department, the surveyor’s office, the plan commission, and the building department. Each department has a specialty and will view projects through different perspectives. A project might be of no concern to the sewer district but might not meet building or planning standards.
Having to go to multiple places and wait for a review can be annoying and frustrating. We are all working to make the process as painless and swift as possible. Sometimes a more in-depth review may be necessary. This can be extremely annoying at the time, but it can save tremendous amounts of money and time in the future. We highly recommend that individuals contact the Plan Commission, and other agencies, as early as possible when starting a project. This action will help avoid delays and additional costs.
Permits should be displayed on the site within 24 hours of being issued and should remain visible through the completion of the project. If somebody is building something and you cannot see a permit, he probably did not obtain one. Perhaps he did not know one was necessary. If you are comfortable, feel free to remind the individual to contact the plan commission. If not, you can contact the Plan Commission, and we will investigate the matter further.
Innovations and Reforms.
We are aware that the Plan Commission may not have a sterling reputation. To better serve the citizens, we have begun some minor and major reforms.
We are making efforts to improve transparency and accessibility. Signs are now placed on all properties with petitions before the Plan Commission or Board of Zoning Appeals. We have begun a weblog to share information about planning, agendas, results, code enforcement, and more. We have begun posting staff reports online. All of our meetings are streamed online and recorded for later viewing, pending technical issues. We have worked with the GIS coordinator to develop a Citizen Input feature to allow citizens to report code violations or request information about properties from the county. We have also been working to develop an online permitting system!
We are making efforts to improve understanding of planning and developmental standards. We have developed several informational pamphlets and will continue to develop more. We have written articles for various newsletters and presented before several community groups. (We would be extremely happy to speak to any group that wants us!) Together with the Purdue Extension, we have hosted educational webinars.
Less exciting, but extremely important, we have been reviewing many of our processes, from the permitting at the counter to code enforcement to auditing how much an application really costs the county. Many of these processes have not been rigorously examined for a long time, if ever. We are very excited because this reviewing will allow us to better serve the community in a more efficient manner and will reduce errors.
Conclusion.
This article has covered a lot of material. We hope it has helped you to better understand planning what the Steuben County Plan Commission is doing.
We have been going through many changes these past couple of years. Change can be difficult, but we firmly believe the results will be worth the short-term difficulties.
Please contact us if you have questions about a specific project or planning in general, or suggestions about areas we can improve. Thank you for your attention. We hope to work together to ensure an even better future for Steuben County.
The Steuben County Plan Commission is happy that we have been asked to compose an article for “Soundings.” Even though we have done this in the past, we feel there is still a lot of mystery about what exactly planning is and what the Steuben County Plan Commission does.
Our goal is to shed some light on some planning tools, share some planning history, summarize the permitting process, and share some of the innovations and reforms we have been working on.
It was very easy for my family and friends to understand what I was studying as an undergraduate in an architecture program. Architecture. Got it. However, when I entered graduate school as a planning student, it took longer and longer to describe exactly what I was studying. To this day, I don’t think my grandma completely knows what I do.
Planning is a very broad field (with many specialties) that is a combination of art and science. In general, the goal of planning is to protect the health, safety, and welfare of the community now and into the future. Planning is concerned with generations, not election cycles; we take steps to make the community better and safer in the future than it is today.
Planning Tools.
The most basic-and most important-element of planning is to have a vision of what the community wants to be. This vision is documented in the comprehensive plan, sometimes called a master plan.
The material covered in comprehensive plans may vary from community to community, but they all outline what the community wants to be in 10-20 years. Comprehensive plans are developed under the direction of the Plan Commission with community input, usually at public meetings. Indiana requires a community to have a comprehensive plan before it can engage in planning and zoning.
Zoning ordinances are the main tool that communities use to reach the goals of their comprehensive plan. Zoning ordinances define what uses are permitted in different zoning districts. They define developmental standards, setbacks, height, coverage, etc, for the different zoning districts and sometimes for specific types of uses. This means that property owners may not be able to do whatever they may want to do. In exchange for this loss of some freedom, property owners gain freedom from unreasonable development or use of neighboring properties. Just like comprehensive plans, zoning ordinances are developed by the Plan Commission with community involvement.
History of Planning.
Planning may not be the oldest profession, but it dates back to the earliest human settlements in present-day Turkey and Iraq. Planning was present in the Americas even before the Pilgrims arrived in Massachusetts. The landscape of Indiana and most of the Midwest was divided according to a plan outlined in the Northwest Ordinance of 1787. This is where townships and mile roads come from.
Planning started to become more formalized in the US in the late 1800s with the City Beautiful movement. The first city-wide zoning ordinance was adopted by New York City in 1916. (It was enacted in reaction to new skyscrapers that were blocking the sun from the streets below.)
In 1935, the Indiana State Planning Board and Works Progress Administration prepared the first planning study of Steuben County. It recommended the location of future boulevards, creation of a plan commission, steps to prevent over-crowding of the lakes, development of protected game and natural areas, and adoption of a community-wide comprehensive plan and zoning ordinances.
It took us a little while, but Steuben County adopted its first master plan in 1970 and its first county zoning ordinance in 1972. A new comprehensive plan was adopted in 2006, and we hope to have the funds to review it rigorously again in 2011. A new zoning ordinance was adopted in 2008 and has been amended annually.
Permit Process.
Comprehensive plans, zoning ordinances, and permitting requirements can and do change through time and vary greatly from one community to another. It can be confusing for Steuben residents to know what projects might need a permit and what the standards are because these have changed from the past and because we have a high number of seasonal and new residents.
Permits are required for most improvements to property within the Steuben County Plan Commission jurisdiction. The typical process will take the applicant through the highway department (if any driveways are planned), a sewer district, the health department, the surveyor’s office, the plan commission, and the building department. Each department has a specialty and will view projects through different perspectives. A project might be of no concern to the sewer district but might not meet building or planning standards.
Having to go to multiple places and wait for a review can be annoying and frustrating. We are all working to make the process as painless and swift as possible. Sometimes a more in-depth review may be necessary. This can be extremely annoying at the time, but it can save tremendous amounts of money and time in the future. We highly recommend that individuals contact the Plan Commission, and other agencies, as early as possible when starting a project. This action will help avoid delays and additional costs.
Permits should be displayed on the site within 24 hours of being issued and should remain visible through the completion of the project. If somebody is building something and you cannot see a permit, he probably did not obtain one. Perhaps he did not know one was necessary. If you are comfortable, feel free to remind the individual to contact the plan commission. If not, you can contact the Plan Commission, and we will investigate the matter further.
Innovations and Reforms.
We are aware that the Plan Commission may not have a sterling reputation. To better serve the citizens, we have begun some minor and major reforms.
We are making efforts to improve transparency and accessibility. Signs are now placed on all properties with petitions before the Plan Commission or Board of Zoning Appeals. We have begun a weblog to share information about planning, agendas, results, code enforcement, and more. We have begun posting staff reports online. All of our meetings are streamed online and recorded for later viewing, pending technical issues. We have worked with the GIS coordinator to develop a Citizen Input feature to allow citizens to report code violations or request information about properties from the county. We have also been working to develop an online permitting system!
We are making efforts to improve understanding of planning and developmental standards. We have developed several informational pamphlets and will continue to develop more. We have written articles for various newsletters and presented before several community groups. (We would be extremely happy to speak to any group that wants us!) Together with the Purdue Extension, we have hosted educational webinars.
Less exciting, but extremely important, we have been reviewing many of our processes, from the permitting at the counter to code enforcement to auditing how much an application really costs the county. Many of these processes have not been rigorously examined for a long time, if ever. We are very excited because this reviewing will allow us to better serve the community in a more efficient manner and will reduce errors.
Conclusion.
This article has covered a lot of material. We hope it has helped you to better understand planning what the Steuben County Plan Commission is doing.
We have been going through many changes these past couple of years. Change can be difficult, but we firmly believe the results will be worth the short-term difficulties.
Please contact us if you have questions about a specific project or planning in general, or suggestions about areas we can improve. Thank you for your attention. We hope to work together to ensure an even better future for Steuben County.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
BANI Newsletter- September 2010
A version of the following article appears in "The Higher Standard," the newsletter for the Builders Association of Northeast Indiana. www.ba-ni.com.
Water attracts many people to Steuben County to live or vacation every year. While all this water is beneficial, it can also be dangerous. Flooding is the most deadly and expensive natural disaster across the world.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has prepared flood maps for all of Steuben County. These maps indicate what areas are located in a special flood hazard area. These maps are available in the Plan Commission office or online through the FEMA website. If a property or portion of a property is in this area, only FEMA has the authority to officially remove it from the special flood hazard area.
Special flood hazard areas are commonly called “100 year floodplains.” What this really means that there is a 1% chance of a flood reaching that level in any given year. The name is misleading because there could be several “100 year floods” in a month or none for 150 years. (All new information from FEMA and the Indiana DNR use the term 1% flood.)
When making improvements to property located in a special flood hazard area, things can get more complicated quickly. All structures and other improvements must conform to the Floodplain Standards of Chapter 15 of the Steuben County Zoning Ordinance (a very brief recap will be at the end of this article).
Steuben County adopted these standards as required by FEMA and INDNR so that the community could be a participating member of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). As a participating community, residents located in special flood hazard areas are eligible for flood insurance through the NFIP, which is necessary for any properties with a federally-backed mortgage. It also makes the County eligible for federal grants and loans in case of a flood disaster.
Failure to adopt and enforce these standards would make it impossible to receive insurance through the NFIP or for the county to receive federal aid following a flood. If the County is placed on probation, all flood insurance policies would immediately increase by $50 per month.
The Plan Commission Office has several publications available in the office explaining different floodproofing techniques and the standards. Feel free to come take a peek.
Here’s a quick reference of some floodplain standards: (Section 15:04 (a))
(1) New construction and substantial improvements shall be anchored to prevent flotation, collapse or lateral movement of the structure;
(2) Manufactured homes shall be anchored to prevent flotation, collapse, or lateral movement. Methods of anchoring may include, but are not limited to, use of over-the-top or frame ties to ground anchors. This standard shall be in addition to and consistent with applicable state requirements for resisting wind forces;
(3) New construction and substantial improvements shall be constructed with materials and utility equipment resistant to flood damage below the flood protection grade (FPG);
(4) New construction and substantial improvements shall be constructed by methods and practices that minimize flood damage;
(5) Electrical, heating, ventilation, plumbing, air conditioning equipment and other service facilities shall be designed and/or located so as to prevent water from entering or accumulating within the components during conditions of flooding;
(6) New and replacement water supply systems shall be designed to minimize or eliminate infiltration of flood waters into the system;
(7) New and replacement sanitary sewage systems shall be designed to minimize or eliminate infiltration of flood waters into the system;
(8) On-site waste disposal systems shall be located and constructed to avoid impairment to them or contamination from them during flooding;
(9) Any alteration, repair, reconstruction or improvements to a structure that is in compliance with the provisions of this Chapter shall meet the requirements of “new construction” as contained in this Chapter; and,
(10) Any alteration, repair, reconstruction or improvement to a structure that is not in compliance with the provisions of this Chapter, shall be undertaken only if the non-conformity is not further, extended, or replaced.
(11) Whenever any portion of the SFHA is authorized for use, the volume of space which will be occupied by the authorized fill or structure below the base flood elevation (BFE) shall be compensated for and balanced by an equivalent volume of excavation taken below the BFE. The excavation volume shall be at least equal to the volume of storage lost (replacement ratio of 1 to 1) due to the fill or structure.
a. The excavation shall take place in the floodplain and in the same immediate watershed in which the authorized fill or structure is located;
b. Under certain circumstances, the excavation may be allowed to take place outside of but adjacent to the floodplain provided that the excavated volume will be below the regulatory flood elevation, will be in the same immediate watershed in which the authorized fill or structure is located, will be accessible to the regulatory flood water, will not be subject to ponding when not inundated by flood water, and that it shall not be refilled;
c. The fill or structure shall not obstruct a drainage way leading to the floodplain;
d. The fill or structure shall be of a material deemed stable enough to remain firm and in place during periods of flooding and shall include provisions to protect adjacent property owners against any increased runoff or drainage resulting from its placement; and,
e. Plans depicting the areas to be excavated and filled shall be submitted prior to the actual start of construction or any site work; once site work is complete, but before the actual start of construction, the applicant shall provide to the Plan Director a certified survey of the excavation and fill sites demonstrating the fill and excavation comply with this article.
Water attracts many people to Steuben County to live or vacation every year. While all this water is beneficial, it can also be dangerous. Flooding is the most deadly and expensive natural disaster across the world.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has prepared flood maps for all of Steuben County. These maps indicate what areas are located in a special flood hazard area. These maps are available in the Plan Commission office or online through the FEMA website. If a property or portion of a property is in this area, only FEMA has the authority to officially remove it from the special flood hazard area.
Special flood hazard areas are commonly called “100 year floodplains.” What this really means that there is a 1% chance of a flood reaching that level in any given year. The name is misleading because there could be several “100 year floods” in a month or none for 150 years. (All new information from FEMA and the Indiana DNR use the term 1% flood.)
When making improvements to property located in a special flood hazard area, things can get more complicated quickly. All structures and other improvements must conform to the Floodplain Standards of Chapter 15 of the Steuben County Zoning Ordinance (a very brief recap will be at the end of this article).
Steuben County adopted these standards as required by FEMA and INDNR so that the community could be a participating member of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). As a participating community, residents located in special flood hazard areas are eligible for flood insurance through the NFIP, which is necessary for any properties with a federally-backed mortgage. It also makes the County eligible for federal grants and loans in case of a flood disaster.
Failure to adopt and enforce these standards would make it impossible to receive insurance through the NFIP or for the county to receive federal aid following a flood. If the County is placed on probation, all flood insurance policies would immediately increase by $50 per month.
The Plan Commission Office has several publications available in the office explaining different floodproofing techniques and the standards. Feel free to come take a peek.
Here’s a quick reference of some floodplain standards: (Section 15:04 (a))
(1) New construction and substantial improvements shall be anchored to prevent flotation, collapse or lateral movement of the structure;
(2) Manufactured homes shall be anchored to prevent flotation, collapse, or lateral movement. Methods of anchoring may include, but are not limited to, use of over-the-top or frame ties to ground anchors. This standard shall be in addition to and consistent with applicable state requirements for resisting wind forces;
(3) New construction and substantial improvements shall be constructed with materials and utility equipment resistant to flood damage below the flood protection grade (FPG);
(4) New construction and substantial improvements shall be constructed by methods and practices that minimize flood damage;
(5) Electrical, heating, ventilation, plumbing, air conditioning equipment and other service facilities shall be designed and/or located so as to prevent water from entering or accumulating within the components during conditions of flooding;
(6) New and replacement water supply systems shall be designed to minimize or eliminate infiltration of flood waters into the system;
(7) New and replacement sanitary sewage systems shall be designed to minimize or eliminate infiltration of flood waters into the system;
(8) On-site waste disposal systems shall be located and constructed to avoid impairment to them or contamination from them during flooding;
(9) Any alteration, repair, reconstruction or improvements to a structure that is in compliance with the provisions of this Chapter shall meet the requirements of “new construction” as contained in this Chapter; and,
(10) Any alteration, repair, reconstruction or improvement to a structure that is not in compliance with the provisions of this Chapter, shall be undertaken only if the non-conformity is not further, extended, or replaced.
(11) Whenever any portion of the SFHA is authorized for use, the volume of space which will be occupied by the authorized fill or structure below the base flood elevation (BFE) shall be compensated for and balanced by an equivalent volume of excavation taken below the BFE. The excavation volume shall be at least equal to the volume of storage lost (replacement ratio of 1 to 1) due to the fill or structure.
a. The excavation shall take place in the floodplain and in the same immediate watershed in which the authorized fill or structure is located;
b. Under certain circumstances, the excavation may be allowed to take place outside of but adjacent to the floodplain provided that the excavated volume will be below the regulatory flood elevation, will be in the same immediate watershed in which the authorized fill or structure is located, will be accessible to the regulatory flood water, will not be subject to ponding when not inundated by flood water, and that it shall not be refilled;
c. The fill or structure shall not obstruct a drainage way leading to the floodplain;
d. The fill or structure shall be of a material deemed stable enough to remain firm and in place during periods of flooding and shall include provisions to protect adjacent property owners against any increased runoff or drainage resulting from its placement; and,
e. Plans depicting the areas to be excavated and filled shall be submitted prior to the actual start of construction or any site work; once site work is complete, but before the actual start of construction, the applicant shall provide to the Plan Director a certified survey of the excavation and fill sites demonstrating the fill and excavation comply with this article.
Monday, May 3, 2010
BANI Newsletter- May 2010
A version of the following article appears in "The Higher Standard," the newsletter for the Builders Association of Northeast Indiana. www.ba-ni.com.
Signs are one of the many structures addressed in the Steuben County Zoning Ordinance. Regulating signs is common to most zoning ordinances because it is important both for ensuring public safety and for maintaining community character. During a recent survey of Plan Commission and Board of Zoning Appeals members, improving the appearance and image of the community ranked as the third highest priority of the goals outlined in the Steuben County Comprehensive Plan.
Because of a large number of violations and the need for improvement in this area, the Plan Commission has started looking more closely at signs. While the current regulations are almost exactly the same as those in the original zoning ordinance from the early 1970s, the Plan Commission has failed to enforce them. In this article, we will explore some of the sign regulations that are most important to the building community.
All permanent signs, including billboards, wall signs, ground signs, etc., within the Steuben County Plan Commission’s jurisdiction require a sign permit. A plan is required, and the process is similar to receiving an improvement location permit. There is, however, an additional, specialized application form is required because signs have different criteria than other structures. These forms are available at the Plan Commission Office or by email, upon request.
Believe it or not, there are some signs that do not require permits. That’s right; there are some temporary signs that do not require a permit! Some examples include construction signs, real estate signs, and development signs.
There are still some guidelines for where these signs may be located and how big they can be. All temporary signs should be located at least 10 feet from the right-of-way and outside a safety triangle. This area is a triangle at intersections, measuring 25 feet along the right-of ways.
Construction signs may be up to 64 square feet in size and 15 feet high. One sign may be installed on each street frontage. They need to be removed within 30 days after a certificate of occupancy has been issued.
Real estate signs may be up to 8 square feet in size and 6 feet high. One sign may be installed on each street frontage. They need to be removed within 15 days of closing.
Development signs may be up to 32 square feet in size and 8 feet high. One sign may be installed on each street frontage. They need to be removed within 7 days after the units have been sold.
The Steuben County Zoning Ordinance does not allow off-premise signs (except for billboards along interstates). For example, all real estate signs need to be located on the property being sold.
More details about sign regulations can be found in Chapter 14 of the Steuben County Zoning Ordinance. Please contact the Steuben County Plan Commission Office if you have any questions.
Signs are one of the many structures addressed in the Steuben County Zoning Ordinance. Regulating signs is common to most zoning ordinances because it is important both for ensuring public safety and for maintaining community character. During a recent survey of Plan Commission and Board of Zoning Appeals members, improving the appearance and image of the community ranked as the third highest priority of the goals outlined in the Steuben County Comprehensive Plan.
Because of a large number of violations and the need for improvement in this area, the Plan Commission has started looking more closely at signs. While the current regulations are almost exactly the same as those in the original zoning ordinance from the early 1970s, the Plan Commission has failed to enforce them. In this article, we will explore some of the sign regulations that are most important to the building community.
All permanent signs, including billboards, wall signs, ground signs, etc., within the Steuben County Plan Commission’s jurisdiction require a sign permit. A plan is required, and the process is similar to receiving an improvement location permit. There is, however, an additional, specialized application form is required because signs have different criteria than other structures. These forms are available at the Plan Commission Office or by email, upon request.
Believe it or not, there are some signs that do not require permits. That’s right; there are some temporary signs that do not require a permit! Some examples include construction signs, real estate signs, and development signs.
There are still some guidelines for where these signs may be located and how big they can be. All temporary signs should be located at least 10 feet from the right-of-way and outside a safety triangle. This area is a triangle at intersections, measuring 25 feet along the right-of ways.
Construction signs may be up to 64 square feet in size and 15 feet high. One sign may be installed on each street frontage. They need to be removed within 30 days after a certificate of occupancy has been issued.
Real estate signs may be up to 8 square feet in size and 6 feet high. One sign may be installed on each street frontage. They need to be removed within 15 days of closing.
Development signs may be up to 32 square feet in size and 8 feet high. One sign may be installed on each street frontage. They need to be removed within 7 days after the units have been sold.
The Steuben County Zoning Ordinance does not allow off-premise signs (except for billboards along interstates). For example, all real estate signs need to be located on the property being sold.
More details about sign regulations can be found in Chapter 14 of the Steuben County Zoning Ordinance. Please contact the Steuben County Plan Commission Office if you have any questions.
Thursday, April 1, 2010
BANI Newsletter- April 2010
A version of the following article appears in "The Higher Standard," the newsletter for the Builders Association of Northeast Indiana. www.ba-ni.com.
This article will describe a new GIS feature called “Citizen Input”, describe how to use it, and give an update on sketch plan requirements.
The new Citizen Input feature will allow Steuben County Offices to receive information through the County’s online GIS. We’re excited that this new feature allows us to both share and receive information using the GIS. It is a first step to improved web services, which will include online permitting in the future.
Citizen Input is currently being used by the Plan Commission and Surveyor. Anybody with access to the internet can use the feature for the following activities:
• Report abandoned vehicles,
• Comment on Plan Commission or Board of Zoning Appeals petitions,
• Report unpermitted construction,
• Request a construction inspection,
• Request development restrictions for a property,
• Report environmental nuisances, &
• Report drain tile or ditch problems.
The easiest way to access the Citizen Input feature is to locate the property in question on the GIS. The feature is activated by clicking “Citizen Input” on the left menu bar. Then, follow the instructions below.
1. Select the appropriate Citizen Input layer for your request by clicking on the layer name in the Layers list on the left side of the beacon map interface.
2. Select the Map tab to switch to the map view. (Located on the tab bar immediately below the page header.)
3. Zoom to the location of interest using the map navigation tools.
4. Select the location tool by clicking on the icon. (The tool's background will change to indicate it has been selected.)
5. Click a point on the map to indicate area of interest. (The application will then redirect the user to the input form.)
6. Fill out the form with the appropriate data.
7. Press the submit button. (You will receive confirmation that your submission was successful.)
We anticipate adding new departments and new options to this feature in the future. Let us know if you have any suggestions for improving this service!
Last month, we announced that sketch plans would have to comply with all the requirements of Chapter 16 of the Steuben County Zoning Ordinance starting on April 5, 2010.
We have decided to delay that by two weeks until Monday, April 19, 2010. (Of course, we will accept sketch plans that fully comply before that date.)
This was done because development of the sample sketch plan took longer than anticipated, and we wanted to allow enough time for applicants to make adjustments. The sample sketch plan is now available on the Plan Commission blog and as handouts in the Office.
This article will describe a new GIS feature called “Citizen Input”, describe how to use it, and give an update on sketch plan requirements.
The new Citizen Input feature will allow Steuben County Offices to receive information through the County’s online GIS. We’re excited that this new feature allows us to both share and receive information using the GIS. It is a first step to improved web services, which will include online permitting in the future.
Citizen Input is currently being used by the Plan Commission and Surveyor. Anybody with access to the internet can use the feature for the following activities:
• Report abandoned vehicles,
• Comment on Plan Commission or Board of Zoning Appeals petitions,
• Report unpermitted construction,
• Request a construction inspection,
• Request development restrictions for a property,
• Report environmental nuisances, &
• Report drain tile or ditch problems.
The easiest way to access the Citizen Input feature is to locate the property in question on the GIS. The feature is activated by clicking “Citizen Input” on the left menu bar. Then, follow the instructions below.
1. Select the appropriate Citizen Input layer for your request by clicking on the layer name in the Layers list on the left side of the beacon map interface.
2. Select the Map tab to switch to the map view. (Located on the tab bar immediately below the page header.)
3. Zoom to the location of interest using the map navigation tools.
4. Select the location tool by clicking on the icon. (The tool's background will change to indicate it has been selected.)
5. Click a point on the map to indicate area of interest. (The application will then redirect the user to the input form.)
6. Fill out the form with the appropriate data.
7. Press the submit button. (You will receive confirmation that your submission was successful.)
We anticipate adding new departments and new options to this feature in the future. Let us know if you have any suggestions for improving this service!
Last month, we announced that sketch plans would have to comply with all the requirements of Chapter 16 of the Steuben County Zoning Ordinance starting on April 5, 2010.
We have decided to delay that by two weeks until Monday, April 19, 2010. (Of course, we will accept sketch plans that fully comply before that date.)
This was done because development of the sample sketch plan took longer than anticipated, and we wanted to allow enough time for applicants to make adjustments. The sample sketch plan is now available on the Plan Commission blog and as handouts in the Office.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
BANI Newsletter- March 2010
A version of the following article appears in "The Higher Standard," the newsletter for the Builders Association of Northeast Indiana. www.ba-ni.com. (That article was shortened to allow it to fit in the available space.)
With the daylight growing longer, the frost will be breaking soon, and a new building season will be upon us. The Steuben County Plan Commission is looking forward to this spring and wants to alert the builders of some very important upcoming changes.
As we all know, there were many changes between the old zoning ordinance and the new zoning ordinance adopted in 2008. For good or ill, the Plan Commission decided not to fully enforce all provisions of the new zoning ordinance. The rationale was that because of the number of changes, it would be less painful to enforce in stages rather than all at once.
Effective Monday, April 5, 2010, the Plan Commission will fully enforce Chapter 16. This chapter describes what information must be on a site plan, required for non-residential projects, and what information must be on a sketch plan, required for agricultural and residential projects. (A complete list of which plan, sketch or site plan, that different types of projects require can be found in Section 16.02 on page 16-1 of the Zoning Ordinance.)
Most sketch plans this office receives contain most, but not all, of the required information. Section 16.03 on page 16-2 of the Zoning Ordinance lists the required information. Here is a basic review of what the Plan Commission will be looking for on sketch plans:
• Name, address, & seal of the professional engineer or land surveyor who prepared the site/sketch plan
• The address of the property
• Photograph(s) of existing site conditions
• Property survey showing topography, existing structures, utilities, and floodplain elevation
• Property boundaries, including dimensions
• Net lot area (exclusive of road right-of way, easements, or submerged land)
• Building and impervious surface coverages
• Drawing scale and a north arrow
• Zoning of site and adjacent land
• Rights-of-way (with street name and classification labeled) and easements
• Drainage courses, floodplains, lakes, streams, and wetlands
• Required yards and setbacks
• Adjacent buildings, structures, or pavement within 100 feet of site, including buildings and decks on adjacent waterfront lots
• All existing and proposed structures or other site improvement with the dimensions of such improvements
• Height of all structures
• Distances from all proposed structures to the property lines
• Location of any existing or proposed septic field or grinder
• Well sites
• Location of any existing or proposed driveway and/or parking areas
• Fences or walls
• General grades on-site to determine positive drainage
• Flood hazard areas, including the finished floor elevation, base flood elevation, and flood protection grade for all structures
The Plan Commission is developing a sample sketch plan with all of the required information. We expect to have this available in the middle of March.
Starting Monday, April 5, the Plan Commission will not issue an Improvement Location Permit unless the site plan is complete. We understand that this will require more information up-front and may increase the cost of construction. However, these requirements are included in the Zoning Ordinance.
We believe that staff will be able to review applications more accurately and more quickly once this is implemented. It will reduce the amount of time spent at the counter and greatly reduce the number of errors and stop work orders resulting from incomplete information.
With the daylight growing longer, the frost will be breaking soon, and a new building season will be upon us. The Steuben County Plan Commission is looking forward to this spring and wants to alert the builders of some very important upcoming changes.
As we all know, there were many changes between the old zoning ordinance and the new zoning ordinance adopted in 2008. For good or ill, the Plan Commission decided not to fully enforce all provisions of the new zoning ordinance. The rationale was that because of the number of changes, it would be less painful to enforce in stages rather than all at once.
Effective Monday, April 5, 2010, the Plan Commission will fully enforce Chapter 16. This chapter describes what information must be on a site plan, required for non-residential projects, and what information must be on a sketch plan, required for agricultural and residential projects. (A complete list of which plan, sketch or site plan, that different types of projects require can be found in Section 16.02 on page 16-1 of the Zoning Ordinance.)
Most sketch plans this office receives contain most, but not all, of the required information. Section 16.03 on page 16-2 of the Zoning Ordinance lists the required information. Here is a basic review of what the Plan Commission will be looking for on sketch plans:
• Name, address, & seal of the professional engineer or land surveyor who prepared the site/sketch plan
• The address of the property
• Photograph(s) of existing site conditions
• Property survey showing topography, existing structures, utilities, and floodplain elevation
• Property boundaries, including dimensions
• Net lot area (exclusive of road right-of way, easements, or submerged land)
• Building and impervious surface coverages
• Drawing scale and a north arrow
• Zoning of site and adjacent land
• Rights-of-way (with street name and classification labeled) and easements
• Drainage courses, floodplains, lakes, streams, and wetlands
• Required yards and setbacks
• Adjacent buildings, structures, or pavement within 100 feet of site, including buildings and decks on adjacent waterfront lots
• All existing and proposed structures or other site improvement with the dimensions of such improvements
• Height of all structures
• Distances from all proposed structures to the property lines
• Location of any existing or proposed septic field or grinder
• Well sites
• Location of any existing or proposed driveway and/or parking areas
• Fences or walls
• General grades on-site to determine positive drainage
• Flood hazard areas, including the finished floor elevation, base flood elevation, and flood protection grade for all structures
The Plan Commission is developing a sample sketch plan with all of the required information. We expect to have this available in the middle of March.
Starting Monday, April 5, the Plan Commission will not issue an Improvement Location Permit unless the site plan is complete. We understand that this will require more information up-front and may increase the cost of construction. However, these requirements are included in the Zoning Ordinance.
We believe that staff will be able to review applications more accurately and more quickly once this is implemented. It will reduce the amount of time spent at the counter and greatly reduce the number of errors and stop work orders resulting from incomplete information.
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